1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a cage or bracket for mounting a drive device within a computer, and, more particularly, to a cage or bracket movable into a position providing access to screws mounting the drive device and easily removable from the computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical computer systems include a number of device bays, in which drive devices are mounted by installation from the front of the system. Such drive devices, which are often called DASD (Direct Access Storage Device) drives, include floppy disk drives, hard disk drives, and CD ROM drives. Often, these bays do not provide access to insert screws to engage the threaded mounting holes provided within the drive devices. While these mounting holes are typically provided along the left and right sides of the drive device, and often also along the bottom surface of the drive device, in many computing systems the bays only provide for attachment access from the front of the system. In many computer systems, drives are mounted in a side-by-side arrangement, preventing access to the screw holes on the side of each drive adjacent the other drive. Therefore, a number of adapters have been devised to fasten to various of the threaded mounting holes of a drive device, with the device attached to the adapter being installed from the front of the computer system. For example, a slide may be screwed to each side of a drive device, with the frame surfaces forming the drive bay being adapted to provide recesses for sliding engagement with the slides on opposite sides of the drive device.
What is needed is a structure, such as a cage, for mounting a drive, which is itself movable from an operating position, in which it is held closely among adjacent structures of the computing system, and a service position, in which access to the screws mounting the drive within the structure. It is particularly desirable that at least one drive unit may be mounted within such a structure without a need to attach side rails of other types of adapter plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,389 describes a personal computer including a frame unit and a top cover mounted to pivot upward and outward to the rear of the system, or alternately upward to the side. One or more drive devices may be mounted to extend downward from the top cover. Pivoting the top cover from its closed, operating position, to its open position provides access to the drive devices from below and to components, such as adapter cards and the main system board, from above. The top cover includes, extending along its lower surface, a device mounting bracket including a number of slotted channels. Each drive device is attached to the device mounting bracket by means of a pair of sideplates, fastened to the sides of the device with screws, with tabs of the sideplates extending upward into the slots in the channels. When the drive device is installed, a latching mechanism holds the tabs in place within the slots. Again, what is needed is a structure mounting a drive device directly, without a need for adapter hardware, such as sideplates and a latching mechanism.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,784,251 and 5,784,252 describe personal computers each having a main chassis section and a subchassis hinged to pivot along a horizontal axis between a folded-in position, and a folded-out position. The subchassis section includes a power supply and several drive units, which move together with the subchassis as it is pivoted. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,251, the subchassis extends over the main chassis section, and the pivoting motion is used to provide access to a main system board mounted in the main chassis section. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,252, the subchassis section extends over an end portion of the main chassis section, and the pivoting motion is used to provide access within an area between the main chassis section and the subchassis.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,918 describes a computing system having a pair of drive units mounted on the top surface of a plate pivoted along the front edge of the system. Both drive units move together, with the plate as it is pivoted to gain access to components mounted below the plate.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,784,252,5,784,253, and 5,973,918, the pivoting movement does not address the problems associated with access to mounting locations for closely-spaced drive units, which are directed away from the areas opened by pivoting.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, apparatus is provided for installing a drive unit within a computing system. The apparatus includes a frame of the computing system, and a first drive mounting structure for holding the drive unit. The frame includes a first pivotal mounting structure. The first drive mounting structure is pivotally mounted within the first pivotal mounting structure to move between an operating position holding a drive unit installed therein in an orientation with an interior end of the drive unit within the computing system and a service position holding the drive unit installed therein with the interior end of the drive unit extending outward from the computing system.